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  Cymbeline (Argo Classics)

  William Shakespeare

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  William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic prose and verse read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. 
  ‘Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered.’ 
  Cymbeline is believed to be one of Shakespeare's final plays and is about deceit, pursuit and seduction. 
  King Cymbeline of Britain banishes his daughter Innogen's husband, who then makes a bet on Innogen's fidelity. Innogen is accused of being unfaithful, runs away, and becomes a page for the Roman army as it invades Britain. In the end, Innogen clears her name, discovers her long-lost brothers and reunites with her husband while Cymbeline makes peace with Rome. 
  All of the Shakespeare plays within the ARGO Classics catalogue are performed by the Marlowe Dramatic Society and Professional Players. The Marlowe was founded in 1907 with a mission to focus on effective delivery of verse, respect the integrity of texts, and rescue neglected plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and the less performed plays of Shakespeare himself. The Marlowe has performed annually at Cambridge Arts Theatre since its opening in 1936 and continues to produce some of the finest actors of their generations. 
  Thurston Dart, Professor of Music at London University and a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, directed the music for this production. 
  The full cast includes: Denis McCarthy; David Rowe-Beddoe; Ian Lang; Terrence Hardiman; Andrew Parkes; John Sharpe; Roger Hammond; Tony White; Peter Orr; David Coombes; Philip Strick; Tom Bussman; John Tracy-Phillips; Trevor Nunn; Tom Bussman; Michael Burrell; Gillian Webb; Margaret Drabble; Micheline Samuels. 
  This top performing theatre production, hailed as one of the best, brings to life the European essence of Shakespeare's work. The cast's delivery of the prose and verse is a testament to their dedication and talent. 
  For fans of Richard Parsons (GCSE English Shakespeare Text Guide), and Arthur Miller (Incident at Vichy).

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  Extinction of Man The (Unabridged)

  H. G. Wells

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  "The Extinction of Man" by H. G. Wells is a short essay. H. G. Wells once different, humorous social satire and ironic.It is part of the excessive egotism of the human animal that the bare idea of its extinction seems incredible to it. "A world without us!" it says, as a heady young Cephalaspis might have said it in the old Silurian sea.

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  The Mabinogion

  Charlotte Guest

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  The Mabinogion, the earliest literary jewel of Wales, is a collection of ancient tales and legends compiled around the 12th and 13th century deriving from storytelling and the songs of bards handed down over the ages. It is a remarkable document in many ways. From an historical perspective, it is the earliest prose literature of Britain. But it is in its drama that many surprises await, not least the central role of King Arthur, his wife, Gwenhwyvar, and his court at Caerlleon upon Usk.There are tales of jousting, of quests, of damsels in distress, of abandoned wives, of monsters and dragons, of loyalty, deception and honour. Heroes and villains abound; there is courage and suffering in abundance. This is why The Mabinogion has a rightfully important position within the early literature of Europe.There are 12 stories of varying lengths in the collection. Some, such as 'The Lady of the Fountain' and 'Geraint, the Son of Erbin', are centred on the Arthurian legend, and they display all the chivalric elements we expect from greater familiarity with later texts such as Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. However, here, in The Mabinogion, we inhabit an earthier world, before the Round Table and the Grail Legend, though hints of these exist.Emotions, intentions and actions are real and direct! Nevertheless, The Mabinogion was drawn from a variety of sources, and there are tales of very different character, such as 'The Dream of Maxen Wledig', which harks back to the period of the Roman Empire, and 'The Story of Llud and Llevelys', which involves the Island of Britain and the Kingdom of France.This recording presents the classic, groundbreaking translation by Charlotte Guest. It brought The Mabinogion to a wider audience for the first time, and we can enjoy the grandeur of her literary style - one that particularly suits the audiobook medium. This is especially so in this skillful performance by Richard Mitchley. Welsh was his first language, though he has for decades divided his time between English and Welsh audiobooks and radio plays; furthermore, he guides walking holidays in Wales and is thus personally familiar with areas mentioned in The Mabinogion.

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  The Return of Tarzan

  Edgar Rice Burroughs

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  Tarzan had renounced his right to the woman he loved, and civilization held no pleasure for him. After a brief and harrowing period among men, he turned back to the African jungle where he had grown to manhood. It was there he first heart of Opar, the city of gold, left over from fabled Atlantis.It was a city of hideous men-and of beautiful, savage women, over whom reigned La, high priestess of the Flaming God. Its altars were stained with the blood of many sacrifices. Unheeding of the dangers, Tarzan led a band of savage warriors toward the ancient crypts and the more ancient evil of Opar.

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  The Puzzler

  Rudyard Kipling

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  Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. 
  "The Puzzler" is a humorous tale of a young man who is trying to engineer a meeting with an influential law lord who he hopes will support him with a great business idea. A fortuitous chance means he happens on the law lord while he is conducting a light-hearted experiment with a group of old school friends. 
  They are attempting to see whether a monkey can climb an araucaria (monkey puzzle) tree. The experiment ends in farce as the monkey escapes and gets into the house... exactly at the moment when the owners of the house appear.

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  Three Detective Anecdotes - The...

  Charles Dickens

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  Three short detective anecdotes by one of the key founding fathers of the detective genre, Charles Dickens.    The Pair of Gloves.    The Artful Touch.    The Sofa.

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